


Bedtime Story

by CelesteFitzgerald



Series: Mimi's 12 Days of Christmas: 2020 Version [2]
Category: The Beatles (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-18
Updated: 2020-12-18
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:01:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 665
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28141296
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CelesteFitzgerald/pseuds/CelesteFitzgerald
Summary: Ringo has trouble sleeping, so George reads to him to help him relax. They get a bit more invested in the book than they planned.
Relationships: George Harrison/Ringo Starr
Series: Mimi's 12 Days of Christmas: 2020 Version [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2057436
Comments: 7
Kudos: 28





	Bedtime Story

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Iamonly17](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Iamonly17/gifts).



> This fic includes references to the book Six of Crows, and there are some spoilers. Please don't read unless you're okay with being spoiled. (rufusrant I'm still so damn sorry for spoiling youuuuuuuu)

It was late when George finally set down his guitar and headed to the bedroom. Ringo had been in bed for a few hours, and George couldn’t wait to cuddle up under the blankets and wrap his arms around him. He carefully cracked the bedroom door open and slipped inside.

“Hey, love,” Ringo said from their bed.

George paused in the doorway. “Sorry. Did I wake you?”

Ringo groaned. “No. I can’t fuckin’ fall asleep.”

“Ahh.” George eased himself onto the bed and gave him a quick kiss. “Feeling alright?”

“Yeah. Just not tired.”

Wrapping an arm around Ringo’s shoulders, George traced little patterns into his arm with his fingertip. “Can I help?”

Ringo looked away. It was hard to tell in the dark, but it looked like he was blushing. “I dunno.”

“Are you sure? Ritchie?”

Ringo sighed. “Could you read to me?”

“Huh?”

“You don’t have to if it’s dumb,” Ringo said hurriedly. “But you like books, and I like your voice, so…”

George kissed him once more. “I’d love to.” He smiled at Ringo before heading out to the bookshelf and grabbing a book he had bought earlier this week. “This looks like a good one,” he said, returning to the room. “ _Six of Crows_.”

“Sounds, uh, birdy.”

“…Would you like a different book?”

“Nah. Tell me about the crows.”

“I don’t think it’s actually about crows,” George said as he climbed back into bed.

“Damn these misleading titles,” Ringo muttered as he lay back down and snuggled against George’s side.

George opened the book and began to read. “Joost had two problems: the moon and his mustache…”

The plan seemed to be working. As George told him about the nation of Kerch, Ringo yawned and his eyelids fluttered shut. George had been right about the book too. It was good. He was enthralled by Kaz’s mission and couldn’t wait to see what would happen.

But for now, George really did need to sleep. He closed the book, shut off the lamp, and—

“You can’t stop now.”

George jolted at the sound of Ringo’s voice. “Jesus, I thought you were asleep.”

“How could I be asleep when you picked the best book in the world? Why couldn’t you have chosen one of your boring books? I’d have been out in minutes.”

George narrowed his eyes. “What boring books.”

“…Just keep reading. Please?”

Secretly glad for an excuse to continue, George picked up the book again.

He flew through chapter after chapter with Ringo glued to his side. The hours ticked by, but they didn’t give up. Ringo even took a turn reading a few chapters. He went all-out with giving each character a different voice, more so to make George laugh than to pick voices true to each character.

They held hands through the tense scenes, wiped each other’s tears at the sad scenes. Most of all, they ranted about how badly Kaz and Inej needed to get together.

“They obviously like each other,” Ringo said, slamming his hand against the mattress so hard the bed shook. “Why can’t they just say it?”

“There’s still a couple chapters left,” George said through a yawn. “And there’s another book—”

“ _What?_ Another book? Damn it, George, I’m never gonna sleep again.”

George chuckled and took the book back from Ringo to continue reading.

Finally, just past six o’clock, George read the final sentence and shut the book. Even with the birds chirping outside, it felt eerily silent now that the world they had been lost in all night was gone. “Wow,” George whispered.

“I can’t believe they got Inej,” Ringo muttered against his pillow.

“Yeah.”

“And they didn’t even get to _kiss_.”

“ _That’s_ all you’re thinking about?”

Ringo nodded and let his eyes close. “S’not fair.”

George ran his fingers through Ringo’s hair and lay beside him. “They’ll find each other again.”

“They better.”

As the sun rose, the couple finally drifted off to sleep, dreaming of the new world they had discovered together.


End file.
